Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. – 2 Chronicles 16:12

Asa was one of the better kings of Judah. He tore down idols in the land, repaired the altar of the Lord, and assembled all Judah to Jerusalem to take an oath before the Lord to seek Him with their whole hearts. All Judah sought God wholehearted under Asa and He was found by them.

Twenty years later Asa contracted a severe disease, which is where the above verse comes in. The disease did not kill him, but the indication from the verse is that God intended the illness to draw Asa to seek help from God and he didn’t. Maybe Asa thought the disease was not important enough. It wasn’t like he consulted idols.

If God wanted Asa to turn toward Him in this, what others things are we not turning over to God?

So often when get sick, we just go to the doctor and believe whatever they tell us. I had a foot disease when I was younger. The doctors told my parents that I had an atopic exema. I spent 10 years putting cream on my feet every night only to go back and forth between bad and worse on these painful sores on my feet. In college I had a “God encounter” watching a Micatin commercial. “Maybe I had athlete’s foot.” Two weeks of that spray effectively cured me.

I took the word of a learned professional and lived in unnecessary pain for 10 years.

More recently I had a snoring problem which effected my wife’s sleep. My wife and I both went to the Lord this time. Since we did not get any particular leaning from God, I went to the doctors for a sleep study to monitor my snoring. The results came back as sleep apnea, which the recommended prescription was surgery to enlarge the airways in my throat. We prayed again giving God a chance for a second opinion. We tried a few non-evasive options like a C-PAP and a mouth piece. Neither were the answer.

Finally God downloaded a clue to my wife. Ice cream. It seemed that I was affected worse on nights I ate ice cream for dessert (which was often – yum). As I abstained from ice cream the snoring completely vanished. No surgery. No machines. No snoring. Just a little restraint.

Doctors are wonderful people and have incredible wisdom to offer. But our trust is to be in our Lord. Healing is in His wings. It is all a matter of where you give the ultimate say.

The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord. – Proverbs 21:31